Marble game apparatus



Feb. 16, 1937. F. KOEHLER MARBLE- GAME APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1935 U u o E I I an: o

fizz/5 jfoeizez" Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The invention relates to a game apparatus, and more particularly to that classed as pin and marble game boards, and it has for its main object the provision of an apparatus of this kind which introduces a fascinating development 'in' the projection of the marbles.

Another object of the invention is to materialize the special development in the form of cannon-like units which will be adapted for reprojecting such of the marbles as become located in front of the units, this action being without the aid of the player, but by means of an electrical control actuated by the marbles.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character described reprojecting means for the propulsion of such marbles as have been projected onto the game board by the player, whereby to create more or less hazardous scoring possibilities for the marbles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide automatic reprojecting means of the type mentioned above, and electrical controls therefor so arranged that a given marble located in front of one of said reprojecting units will be sent forward by the latter on a further trip up the board by the effect of another marble upon the control.

A still further object of this invention is to provide in a game apparatus of the character described electrically operated means controlled by a ball projected onto the board for back rolling a previously played ball, so that it rolls up the board.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character described which will be simple in construction, assembly and operation, which may be constructed along lines convenient for low cost manufacture and which will be highly efiicient for carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of a game board embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of an electrical circuit employed in the apparatus.

In the development of the many pin games now on the market, the ball or marble deposited by the player usually follows a course determined by its speed, the inclination of the board and the obstacles or guides located thereon. In other words, the marble proceeds on its course without any new aid or impetus except for a possible rebound from the obstacle. This, however, adds little, if any, force to keep that marble going, and its progress again becomes dependent on an inclination of the board. In fact, this inclination forces by gravity the marble towards lower and lower levels with the more frequent chance for it to drop into an out-hole or become lost. In the development of the present apparatus, it has been the intent to renew and prolong the activity of each marble, thereby greatly enhancing its scoring possibilities.

In accordance with the foregoing, the apparatus of the present embodiment includes the usual inclined board it! provided with a suitable playing surface, which board is disposed within a suitable casing having a glass top whereby access may not be had to the playing surface. The board It] is provided with a plurality of score holes or pockets I2 and an arrangement of pins or studs 13 consistent with the layout of the game.

The board has the usual perforated: slide l4 disposed below the same, which slide is shown in its clearing position in Fig. 2, whereby the marbles disposed on the playing field may be permitted to drop into a return chute l5. The apparatus has associated with it a suitable coin chute of conventional construction designated generally by the reference character It as well as a projecting plunger designated by the reference character l'l Associated with the device is also a suitable elevating means of suitableand conventional construction (not shown) for thepure pose of elevating the marbles or balls in posi tion for actuation by the plunger M With the game board inclined as shownya marble at the upper end may roll into either of two arch ornaments IS. The floor undereach arch receives a spring blade I! having rear branches Il secured to the board of screws or other fastening means. The fore part of the blade is slightly elevated and is disposed directly above a contact post l8 securely lodged in the board. It follows that the passage of the marble through the arch It causes the blade I? to become depressed and bear on the contacting post l8 thereby closing a switch in an electrical circuit employed with the game apparatus.

The switch just described has the effect of actuating a solenoid l9 encased in a miniature cannon structure 29, said solenoid having its plunger at I9 disposed in position to be projected from the solenoid with a rapid stroke approximately one inch in length. The plunger l9 is returned to its inactive position by a spring arranged within the solenoid casing (not shown), this occurring as soon asthe marble has rolled off the switch [1.

The solenoids l 9- are in a pair near the sides of the board and-along the center of the board and near its lower end is arranged another pair of solenoids designated by the reference character 2|, said last mentioned solenoid being constructed substantially identical as the previous pair, but as shown'in Fig- 1, are spaced more closely in lateral relation. The switches foractuating the solenoids 2| are arranged so that they will be actuated by the marble approaching the solenoid for reprojecting the said marble. In the embodiment illustrated, each switch consists of an angle lever which is pivoted at 22 in the corner of its angle and presents one arm 22 in front of the solenoid 2| in a position below the plunger thereof, and the other arm. 22* of the switch lever terminates opposite the fixed contact post 23. Thus, when the arm 22 is moved towards the solenoid, the arm 22 will make an electrical contact with the post 23 energizing the solenoid.

When the player starts a marble on its way by imparting desired momentum thereto by means of the plunger 11 the marble proceeds along the usual runway i 1 at the side of the board, traveling past-a return check li and rounding the curve m at the upper end of the board. If the marble stops in the'center it may proceed downwardly and roll into any of the score pockets located in the center field of the board and rated in points as marked.

On the other hand, should the marble take a lateral course, it will run through one of the arches l6 and then into the center of the board. Here it may find a score pocket or proceed downwardly on the playing field to be deposited between a pair of guide strips 24 leading to one of the solenoids 2|. In approaching the latter, the marble will first meet and impinge upon the plunger of the solenoid, which plunger will in turn engage the arm 22 thereby closing the contact between the arm 22 and post 23 with the result that the solenoid associated with the particular switch just closed will be energized and will immediately impart a quick stroke to its plunger. This actuation of the plunger will reproject the marble with more or less speed into the field of score pockets for a new chance to score.

In actual play, it will often happen that a marble may in its original or re-impelled course roll laterally and come to a stop in front of one of the solenoids l9. Ordinarily, such a marble will be considered as dropped at this point in the field, but the provision of the switch I! enables the player to get the marble out of the trap and of the same.

into useful motion. This may be accomplished by projecting a second marble by means of the plunger li onto the playing field with the object of causing the said second projected marble to roll through the arches I 6, thereby actuating the switch I! for energizingthe solenoid H) to cause the same to reproject the marble disposed in front This, of course, would reproject the trapped marble against the curved guides 25, which guides would be effective for directing the marble through the runway 21 into a field of score pockets arranged at the bottom of the playing board, together with cumulative elongated pockets disposed alongside the solenoids 2 I.

In case the players marble supply is exhausted before he has been able to release or actuate the marbles trapped in front of the solenoids IS, the said trapped marbles will be held there until the next game. By reason of the above arrangement it will be apparent that high scores may be obtained by the player first loading the miniature cannons l9 by placing in front of them marbles and then bringing about the reprojection of said trappedv marbles by causing later projected marbles to actuate the switches I1.

The electrical diagram of Fig. 3 is self-explanatory, and it will be seen that I have provided an apparatus which introduces the fascinating element of the automatic miniature cannons which permit a trapped marble to be reprojected into the field of scoring pockets by the proper and skillful manipulation of later projected marbles.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction, and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a game of the character described, the combination of an elongated, longitudinally inclined playing board having means associated therewith forming a longitudinal series of ball retaining object holes, means for projecting a group of balls, one at a time, to the upper end of the board for gravitation down the board and electrically operated means controlled by a ball projected onto the board for back rolling a previously played ball so that it rolls up the board.

2. In a game of the character described, the combination of an elongated, longitudinally inclined playing board formed with a longitudinal series of marble retaining pockets, means for projecting a group of marbles, one at a time, to the upper end of the board for gravitation down the latter, a control on the board and adapted to be actuated by a descending marble, and means energized by said control to impel a previously played marble so that it rolls up the board.

3. The structure of claim 2, an electrical circuit, said second mentioned means being the plunger of a solenoid in the circuit, and said control being a switch which is closed by the rolling of the first mentioned marble over it while in the course of descent.

FRANK KOEI-ILER. 

